The container and closure art is in a constant state of flux with new and improved container-closure assemblies being designed to solve new liquid handling and/or storage situations. There are assemblies designed for substantial positive closure cooperation with a container to prevent accidental spillage resulting from toppling, such as for example the thermoformed closures for expanded foamed containers for beverages, such as coffee and tea. Other container and closure assemblies have been designed for complete cooperative interlocking relationship to prevent the diffusion of a gaseous medium therefrom, such as container and closure assemblies for carbonated beverages. There are assemblies designed to provide for pressure relief during container-closure opening but prior to closure removal, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,851 to Walker. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,312,513 to Wilson, there is disclosed a slip-on closure for a container having neck engaging ribs to permit closure cooperation in a manner to prevent or minimize the free evaporation of the container contents.
There are container-closure assemblies used for bacterial studies where it is desirable to permit the introduction of a gaseous media, such as for sterilization or aerobic cultures. Such a closure is partially opened to a guesstimated extent determined by the user and returned to a container support assembly until future referral. Such a guesstimated relationship between the container and closure does not satisfy requirements of being: (a) loose enough for gaseous exchange with the contents in the container; and (b) sufficiently secured to prevent unintentional loss of closure-to-port contact.